Bungie has all but confirmed (though they basically confirmed it) the long-awaited return of the Exotic Sniper Rifle, Ice Breaker, which was last seen in Destiny 1 during Year 3 as part of the Rise of Iron expansion.
The news comes from today’s blog post celebrating the franchise’s 10th anniversary, where Bungie revealed that an upcoming dungeon will feature a returning Exotic Sniper Rifle. While Bungie didn’t directly name Ice Breaker, they mentioned the key art from the post which prominently shows a Titan wielding the iconic weapon, making it clear that this fan-favorite Exotic is making its comeback. Plus, this quote solidifies it:
“As you may have already guessed thanks to our key art, a certain Exotic Sniper Rifle, one considered a myth by many at this point, is resurfacing in the upcoming Dungeon.
We’ll share more info at a later date, but we hope this helped… break the ice.”
Though no specific details about Ice Breaker’s reintroduction were shared beyond the image and some teasing verbiage, Bungie mentioned that they will revisit the topic at a later date when they discuss the upcoming dungeon’s rewards.
But that is not all. More exciting content is on the way as part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, which you can read about on Bungie’s official blog, in addition to a very general roadmap for their Frontiers initiative. And while the 10th Anniversary and Frontiers are very much two different things, the Frontiers plans confirms two upcoming mid-sized expansions, Apollo and Behemoth, and some other major updates for 2025.
Still, as far as the 10th Anniversary goes, hearing of Ice Breaker’s return, at least for us over here that missed the weapon dearly, is some of the most exciting bit of news shared today out of both topics (Frontiers just sounds like more of the same but we are keeping an open mind).
Many fans will no doubt be surprised by the return of Ice Breaker, as countless YouTubers and social media posts, particularly on Reddit, have argued that the weapon simply had no place in Destiny 2, primarily due to the game’s more refined ammo economy.
The self-replenishing ammo mechanic of Ice Breaker was seen as potentially disruptive in the current meta, leading many to believe the weapon would never fit into the game. Even Bungie themselves have stated on more than one occasion that Ice Breaker would not be returning for these very reasons. However, despite all expectations and past statements, the iconic sniper rifle is indeed finally making its way back, signaling a major shift in the way Bungie plans to balance this beloved Exotic. We just hope it doesn’t suck in its newly shaped form…
